Tantra's
by aomeanie
Summary: After accidentally stumbling upon a strip club in a desperate attempt to find a bar, Aomine finds himself falling into a habit of returning to the bar to see a certain stripper that has grabbed his interest. [AU Police!Mine Stripper!Kise AOKISE]
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_What a stressful day_, was all Aomine could manage to ponder as he indolently made his way out of the police station. As he stepped foot outside, an exhausted yawn immediately escaped his lips before continuing to make his way down the street. It was rather warm outside for it being past sunset, the dark sky glowing underneath the light of the moon. Usually he'd go straight home, cook a quick meal, and pass out right after work – but for some peculiar reason the tanned male was in the mood for a drink. Alcohol, to be exact. It had been a while since he had some whiskey. Just one glass would be enough to put his nerves at ease.

After assembling some distance between him and his workplace, Aomine unfastened the first button of his shirt as to loosen the collar a bit. God, he had never been so desperate for a drink in his life. He didn't even have a bar in mind; whatever caught his eye first would be his choice of the night. Granted, Tokyo was a large city, so finding a place wouldn't be difficult for the officer in the least bit. With his hands stuffed deep in the pockets of his trousers, he walked through a crowd of people; eyes idly maneuvering from sign to sign.

_Tantra's Bar_. The name immediately caught the bluenette's attention, and he found himself wandering off into the building without further consideration.

Blue orbs set intently on his preferred destination; Aomine hurriedly made his way over to the bar and took a seat. Luckily, the place didn't seem to be busy, and he was helped right away. The bartender gave him an inquisitive look at first – as if he were surprised to see someone like Aomine sitting at the bar. It was completely understandable to the cop. He was used to getting mixed looks when he went out in public in his uniform. Civilians were usually quick to make him feel like the criminal with their condemnatory glares.

"Whiskey on ice." Navy eyes fixated on the bartender, he gave him a slight nod of the head as if assuring he was there for nothing more. After having his order being taken, he dropped his gaze down to the countertop of the bar; his tanned hands folded loosely on top of the marble exterior.

Despite the music being turned up fairly loud, it only played faintly in the back of the policeman's mind. His thoughts nearly dimmed the seemingly never ending tune altogether, and it was as if he isolated in the bar. Nothing around him seemed to matter, not with the amount of stress he was dealing with. There was a lot of gang violence going on in Tokyo during that week, and Aomine found himself getting involved in dangerous situations multiple times. He hadn't had a proper night of sleep since god knows when. Even on his days off, Aomine would be called into work due to the innumerable cases. Aside from work, he had just broke things off with his month long girlfriend, and she was trying her hardest to make his life a living hell.

_Where the fuck is my drink?_ Aomine lifted his stare from the counter to see a glass rested on top of a coaster already set out in front of him. He must have been too lost in his thoughts to notice…

Aomine reached out for the cup and brought the brim to his dry lips. He started off taking small sips before gradually consuming the liquid with larger gulps. It wasn't long before the glass was empty, and he set it back down on the bar – ultimately not satisfied with the fix.

_One more glass won't hurt_, he convinced himself before calling the bartender over to order another beverage.

"Hello there," a vibrant voice called out from behind the office with an impressed tone. "Everyone in the back has been talking about a cop. I had to come see for myself."

Aomine turned towards the voice to see a blond male with a smug smile standing behind him. _When did he get there?_ The unfamiliar person made his way next to the bluenette and leaned forward; his forearms resting on the counter of the bar. The blond was wearing rather… provocative clothing; the minimal amount of garments he was clothed in fitted tightly against his slim figure.

Trying not to give the impression that the startling fact was a big deal, Aomine managed to keep his eyes set on nothing beyond the other's face – although knowing that he was wearing nearly nothing made the officer feel slightly uncomfortable. Just as the two males met gazes, the bartender returned with Aomine's second glass and slid it out in front of him. Taking the cup in his hand, Aomine averted his blue eyes down to the whiskey, his brows subconsciously furrowed as he brought the glass to his lips.

"What do you mean?" He muttered in response; quirking a brow out of curiosity. The tanned male had a feeling he knew what the other meant, but he was internally praying that it wasn't the case. The place seemed oddly quiet, which was unusual for a Friday night in Tokyo. At first he had assumed it was because his mind was too engrossed in other things, but when he finally lifted his gaze to observe the area around him, it seemed only a few other men were present. _No women. _Ah, it all made sense now. "There's nothing to see here. I was just looking for a place to get a drink."

The blond seemed to be amused with this, and from the corner of his eye, the tanned male could see the haughty smirk on his face widening. A soft chuckle was heard from the mysterious male, and he shifted so that he was sitting on the stool next to Aomine. There was something about the look the other was giving him that irritated the shit out of cop. Perhaps it had something to do with his faultless features along with his stimulating clothing; it provoked the bluenette in an unexplainable way.

_He's annoying._ It was already decided before the blond could manage to get another word out. His body language was off-putting enough.

"Oh? So you're only here for a drink?" The other male's golden hues seemed to bore into his skin; nearly making Aomine cringe.

"That's what I said," the bluenette snapped back rudely; lowering his now empty glass away from his arid mouth. _Was two glasses enough? _He was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol only minimally. It wasn't necessarily that he wanted to get drunk; he at least wanted the whiskey to affect him enough to clear his mind. Either the liquor wasn't working, or the asshole sitting next to him was reducing the effects. Subconsciously, Aomine shot an exasperated scowl at the obscene male sitting next to him.

"How about a drink and a show?" The other male set his chin in the palm of his hand and tilted his head slightly, a determined gleam apparent in his golden hues. The inquiry caught Aomine off guard, and if he had still been drinking, he was sure he would have spit alcohol out all over the counter. His eyes only widened for a short moment of time before he managed to transition his expression back to its usual impassive one.

His brows pinched together, the seemingly never fading creases on his forehead deepening as his glare intensified. It was official. He didn't like the blond.

"I said I'm just here for a drink," he stated sternly; attempting to get through to the other male that he wanted nothing more than to get a little tipsy and walk back home.

"I'm willing to give you a private show for nearly half the price."

_What part of no does this jackass not understand?_ Aomine felt as though he were speaking to a bad salesman that refused to take notice that the customer wasn't interested. A pest.

"What a bargain," he retorted; motioning the bartender over once again. It would have been smart for him to get up and leave, and perhaps find another bar. But he wasn't going to let some random guy scare him away. Bringing his eyes back to the pleading male, he finally let his gaze trail down to his outfit; making it obvious that he was checking him out. "You're a stripper," he stated in a disgusted tone. _Obviously, dumbass. _Of course he was, but the words slipped past his lips before he could clearly think them through.

"Mhmm, and my lap dances are pretty cheap," the blond continued to try to persuade the bluenette.

"I don't want a fucking show from you."

With the blue-haired male's last statement, an awkward silence fell over the two. The other male seemed the slouch slightly in his seat, and his determined gaze dimmed into a timid one. He was so quick to put on a different façade; the tanned male was almost amused. His third glass of whiskey arrived, and this time he drank it in just seconds; quickly lowering the cup from his face and abruptly setting it down on the bar. _Why is he still here? _It had only been five minutes, and Aomine already felt as though getting rid of the stripper was nearly impossible.

The blond didn't seem to acknowledge the Aomine anymore, his golden orbs set on the ground. The confident, lively act he had fronted earlier had diminished, and it was clear that whatever the bluenette had said really bothered him. It was odd but… he felt bad… And it took a lot to make the cop feel bad.

"Look, I didn't mean to offend you, but—"

"Oh, no! You didn't offend me." _Lies._ The blond perked up again; bringing his gaze back up to Aomine and flashing him a forced grin. "I'm sorry for bothering you. I just…" he sighed; lifting his chin away from his hand so that his words could be heard more clearly. "…I can't seem to draw in any customers. If that doesn't change soon, I might get fired. It's just everyone else seems to do just fine getting customers… yet here I am," the blond's grin faltered into a small, insecure smile, and he averted his gaze once again.

_Why was he telling him this? _ Aomine quirked a brow and a low sigh precipitously escaped his lips. He couldn't even deal with his own problems, the last thing he needed was to feel sorry for some kid wasting his life away in a strip club. It was just, _he couldn't comprehend; _it wasn't as if the other male were unattractive. If anything, he was extremely good-looking. Even Aomine was willing to admit the fact. From his long limbs to his long eyelashes, he was what one would consider "model material". He didn't seem to be the type to get sucked up in such a lifestyle.

"So then find another job," Aomine muttered in a jaded tone; his words nearly drifting off in the music. What more simple way to put it. If you can't have on job, then go find another.

This seemed to humor the blond, and he let out a shaky laugh. "It's not that easy," the other shook his head correspondingly with his words. Aomine rolled his eyes. _So fucking annoying._

"Why did you start working here in the first place?"

"Easy pay."

Aomine scoffed and shook his head in disapproval. _Easy pay._ He absolutely despised people like that. People who would rather take the easier route than work for something better. Life is challenging, and it pleased the tanned male to see people who were willing to go through the challenges to make something out of themselves. People who gave up… who would rather take the easy way out… were truly appalling to him. Yet, for some unknown reason, he still found himself interested in the male beside him. Simply because he was curious.

Feeling the third cup finally get to him, the bluenette decided it was time for him to go, and he lifted himself up from his stool; stumbling slightly before regaining his composure. Aomine pulled out his wallet and paid for the three drinks he consumed. After, he turned to face the blond with a vexed expression spread over his features. To his own surprise, he reached back into his wallet and pulled out 2,500 yen, and then extended the money out towards the stripper; blue orbs subconsciously narrowing. "Here," he nodded his head once as to assure the other it was okay to take the money.

The blond stared down at the cash blankly, hesitant to reach out and accept the surplus pay. His long lashes fluttered slowly, not seeming to be able to find the right words to vocalize his sincere generosity. An apparent look of gratitude fell over the blond's face as he continued to stare down at the money that the other had set in his hand. Aomine could have even sworn that the eyes that had once looked at him with sheer confidence began to welt up with tears, but he was a bit drunk and the room was rather dim, so he had no right to jump to assumptions.

"I can't accept this… At least let me… Make it up to you…" He stated in a near whisper. Although he was claiming that he couldn't accept the compensation, his porcelain fingers curled tightly over the money. He was so fragile; it was almost sickening to Aomine's stomach. He couldn't fathom as to why he was helping someone that caused his nerves to go haywire.

It wasn't like the officer to just give money away to strangers, but something about the other male seemed to peak his interest. Which was rare. It was at that moment that realized he never even retrieved the thought-provoking stranger's name. "Just shut up and take it. I never caught your name, by the way."

He seemed more surprised with Aomine asking for his name than he was when he had given him money. His words came out a lot more timid than before; something about his animated attitude seeming to have changed. "Kise Ryouta."

"Well, you have a nice evening, Kise. I have to get going," and before the staggered blond could respond, the cop had begun to make his way out of the bar.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Aomine's assigned duty for the day was fairly easy compared to his previous week of work. If anything, easy was an understatement. With a hand set lazily on the belt of his pants, the tanned male prudently observed the streets. He was on patrol for the evening; meaning all he had to do was make stroll around the city and be sure that there were no illicit engagements taking place around the area. _Things had finally calmed down._ Which was much to Aomine's content. The local gang violence had finally been resolved, and the policeman could go back to their boring, tedious patrols of the town.

The warm sun had been beating down on Aomine's tanned skin, and he could feel his uniform nearly sticking to his figure due to the minimal amount of sweat his heated body was producing. Seeing nothing odd taking place around the area, the officer began to wander off to a different area. He contemplated stopping by a convenient store to buy some kind of refreshment, it would at least kill some time. It was an odd thing for him to think; considering he had been so exhausted from the past few weeks of interminable work – but he was bored. And when he was bored, his mind meandered off to things he didn't want to think about. Such as his ex.

His weekend had been inevitably horrible. Just as he had expected, he spent the majority of his time off quarreling with his ex-girlfriend. She had to return to his apartment to repossess a few items that she had 'accidentally' left behind. The seemingly simple plan turned into a larger ordeal than it should have been when she brought an unknown man to his house with intentions of getting Aomine jumped. Luckily, he was able to resolve the matter without having to resort to violence. As soon as the stranger found out he was a cop, he backed out of the plan immediately. Getting his ex to leave his apartment turned out to be an issue as well. _I should have had them both arrested._

The only thing that bummed Aomine out about the breakup was that he would no longer be guaranteed sex when he got home from work. The selfish thought drew a long, exasperated sigh from the blue-haired male's lips. God, he wouldn't mind sticking his dick in some big breasted girl at that momen—

_Unf!_

"Sorry, ma'am. Are you okay?" Aomine attended to a shorter woman after accidentally bumping into her during his libidinous trance. After sputtering multiple apologies, he continued down his route.

Aside from the drama, he spent the rest of his weekend running around in circles for work and thinking about the blond he had met the other night. It was unfathomable as to why, but he couldn't shake the thought of the blond's generous expression when he had charitably set money in his hand. Also, how quickly irritated he was with his personality. It peeved him even more that couldn't clear his mind from the insignificant stripper. He was just like any other stripper, so what had Aomine so concerned?

It wasn't until he brought his gaze up from the path he was walking that he realized he insentiently stopped in front of a familiar building. Blue hues glared up at the brightly lit up sign that displayed the words "TANTRA'S BAR". _You're on the job, what the fuck do you think you're doing?_ Aomine idly runs his tanned fingers through his blue locks as he continued to stare up at the sign in contemplation. Arriving at the Tantra's was all a blur – one second he was thinking about Kise and the next he was outside of Kise's workplace.

_I'll get some water and then leave,_ he convinced himself. Besides, there was no point in walking all the way to the convenient store when he could buy himself a drink in the building right in front of him. With his hands stuffed in his pockets, the blue-haired male made his way into the bar, a seemingly disinterested expression played on his features. The place seemed to be even calmer than last time, which was much more understandable to the officer considering it was a Monday.

Unlike his previous visit, Aomine observed the place; noticing that the bar was clearly a strip club. If he would have been more attentive the last time he rushed in, it would have been effortlessly noticed. There were multiple areas draped with curtains, which could easily be established as the 'private' rooms, where the much more expensive exertion was done. The place reeked of strong alcohol, and the music was upbeat and danceable. It certainly wasn't his type of place, and if he would have been a bit less desperate in his journey to find a bar, he would not have even contemplated stepping foot in the area.

He immediately made his way to the bar; avoiding eye contact with anyone else who was present in the area. Before he could sit down, the bartender provided Aomine with a grin and said, "Back already?" It didn't surprise Aomine that the other immediately recognized him, he was sure that it was rare for a cop to show up in a place like this.

The tone of the other's voice peeved the blue-haired male, and his expression twisted up into a scowl. Taking a seat on the stool, Aomine propped an elbow on the countertop and leaned in slightly. "I'll have a water," he ignored the bartender's question and cut straight to the chase. Not seeming fazed by the officer's discourteous response, the bartender reached under the bar to retrieve a glass and water to fill the cup.

He suddenly felt a nervous feeling in his gut, as if returning to the bar was a bad idea. _It was a bad idea._ No matter how many times he tried to convince himself it was to get a drink, he had no purpose being there. Aomine let out a disappointed sigh as he kept his eyes fixed on the bartender.

_Why am I here?_

"Why are you here?"

Aomine jumped as an easily recognized voice called out from behind him. He kept his gaze forward; not deeming it necessary to turn around when he already knew who it was. "Is that any way to greet a customer?" The bluenette mumbled in a mocking tone as he continued to watch the bartender pour him a glass of water.

Kise moved by his side so his figure could be made out in Aomine's peripheral. Even in the corner of his eye, the other seemed to glow under the dimmed light of the room. The blond leaned back against the counter, and then lifted himself up so that he was sitting on the edge. "Sorry, that came out kind of rude," he provided the other with an apologetic smile. "I just didn't expect you to come back…"

The bartender slid the clear, non-alcoholic liquid to Aomine; keeping his gaze elsewhere as to make it seem he was not eavesdropping on their conversation. "I'm not a predictable man, Kise," Aomine stated flatly, finally bringing his gaze up to the stripper propped up on the bar. His outfit was different that day. Still provocative, but there was less skin showing. It's not like what he wore matter, he was going to strip it off anyways. But this way, it made conversing with him less awkward.

The blond nodded agreeably, "I can't say I disagree. You know, I never caught your name. I've been referring to you as 'Mysterious Cop' ever since I met you that day."

Mysterious? The officer quirked a brow inquisitively as he took a long sip of his water. He wasn't aware that he was being the mysterious one in their situation. It wasn't as if he was intentionally leaving his personal information unknown. Kise simply never asked, so he never told. Not only that, but he wasn't in the right mind for discussion the last time (and first time) they met.

The feeling of the cool liquid swishing around his arid mouth was indescribably sensational; he nearly didn't want to set his glass back down. He lowered his cup a bit away from his lips to mutter, "Aomine Daiki."

This caused a rather ecstatic grin to form on the blond's lips, his face lighting up with interest. He was so easily amused, and it confused Aomine. It seemed the simple things caused Kise to perk up with hapinesss. "It's nice to formerly meet you, Aomine_cchi_."

The tanned male cringed at the sudden nickname, and a deadpan spread along his stoic features. "What—?" Before Aomine could protest against the silly nickname, Kise let out an amused chuckle. _What's so damn funny?_ He watched as the other put his hands behind himself on the counter and shifted his weight onto his arms, his head carelessly tilted back so that his honey-brown orbs were set on the ceiling. A bit perplexed as to what he was looking at, Aomine momentarily brought his gaze up to the ceiling as well. _Nothing_.

A few minutes of silence past between the two. Aomine had finished his glass of water, though remained seated for some odd reason. Kise kept his gaze upwards as if he were trying to hide his expression. After what seemed like eternity, he brought his warm gaze down to Aomine again, his never-fading grin still apparent. "You know, I can't accept your money without a reason. It doesn't feel right."

Leaning forward in his seat so that he could rest his elbow on the counter, Aomine set his chin in the palm of his hand. Jaded eyes bore into the blond as he felt a sudden surge of frustration rush through him. It was usually easy for him to figure people out, yet he couldn't seem to figure out what the hell was going through Kise's head. He was a wild card. And as much as Kise irritated the living shit out of him, he couldn't help but to continue to try to figure him out.

"So what feels right?" Aomine's jaw moved up and down with each word as he kept his chin rested in his hand. The answer was expected. _Let me give you…_

"…A private show," Kise leaned in towards him as he lowered his voice. So he's figured out that much about the blond. He's not shy about his job. Not that he would nearly expect him to be, but throwing himself at a cop was a bit bold.

"I don't understand."

"What's there to not understand, Aomine_cchi_?"

Lifting his face away from his hand, Aomine straightens his posture in his seat before leaning forward again; his hands folded out in front of him. "I gave you money out of gratitude, so why don't you just accept it?" Isn't that what he wanted, anyways? It was only assumed by Aomine that Kise went on about how he was going to lose his job because he wanted him to feel guilty. The bartender approached Aomine once again to ask if he needed anything else, and he shook his head as to assure him that the water was enough.

Managing to maintain his grin, though it seemed faked by that time, Kise lowered his golden eyes down to the counter he was sitting on. "I feel helpless."

_That's because you are helpless._ It was odd, but it seemed that Kise was comfortable with opening up to him. Aomine couldn't help but wonder if he was like this with all of his customers; luring them in so that he could guilt-trip them and leech them for their money. That's how most strippers were, so he didn't see how this one was any different. "And so you think rubbing your ass on me is going to make you feel any less helpless?"

The blond elevated his gaze. "It'll make me feel like I'm doing my job," Kise's grin began to gradually fade. "I at least want to do that much."

"I don't think I gave you enough for a private show," Aomine continued to protest.

"Well I'm saying you did."

Was he really contemplating this? He's received his fair amount of lap dances from women before, but he never thought he would find himself thinking about retrieving one from a male. And this time he was sober. Aomine's eyes trail down to his own uniform, and he precipitously remembers that he is essentially on the job. He should be out patrolling, not conversing with desperate strippers.

"How do you think that would make me look as a cop?"

Kise shrugged, and this irritated Aomine further. He was so damn smug. "You're already in here, so I don't see what the big deal is."

As much as he hated to admit it, Kise had a point. The looks he was getting from the people around him were already bad enough. But he could use the excuse that he was in the area for work related reasons. He wouldn't have to worry about making up such justifications if he hadn't entered the club in the first place. _Just get up and leave. Just get up and leave. Just… _"And how long does one show typically last?"

Seeing that Aomine was actually considering it, the blond perked up and slid off of the countertop of the bar. He ran his pale fingers through his blond hair; exposing his flawless features completely before letting his bangs fall back over his face. Aomine still couldn't bring himself to believe that someone with his looks has a hard time bringing in customers. "That usually depends. It can vary from fifteen minutes to an hour."

"Make it fifteen minutes. No longer than that. And I'm only doing this because you're noisy, and I'd like to sit and have a drink without you talking in my ear," he agreed with an impassive look on his face. That was all the blond needed to hear. A low, amused chuckle escaped the blond's rosy lips. Without further objection, Kise reach out and wrapped his cold, slender fingers around Aomine's wrist so that he could lead him to an empty section.

"Fifteen minutes is all I'll need, Aomine_cchi_."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_Fifteen minutes._

Kise abruptly pushed the tanned male down on the cushioned seat in the private area, then turned around to close the drapes. A subtle grin formed on the blond's lips as he turned back around and inched his way back over to the officer. "Relax, Aomine_cchi. _It's just a lap dance, nothing more. Besides…" Aomine's mind trailed off before the blond could finish what he was saying. Quite frankly, he didn't care. Nothing the other said really mattered, because in the end, it was all bullshit. Receiving a lap dance while on the job was pretty risky. If someone knew of his whereabouts, he could be suspended and possibly fired. It was a bit odd of him to contemplate this now that he had already agreed, but the thought provoked him. His job was important to him and—

"Aomine_cchi_," Kise stated sternly as to grasp his attention, and then swung a leg over Aomine's lap so that he was straddling him – one knee on each side of him on the small couch. "Are you even listening?" _So annoying._ The blond's eyes narrowed; golden hues glistening under the dimmed light of the area. There was something frustratingly smug about the other's expression that made the officer want to push him out of his lap. Everything about the other male irritated Aomine, yet he continued to find himself intrigued with him. The enigmatic aura he seemed to give off unexplainably interested the officer, despite his obvious disliking of him.

Although Kise managed to pull Aomine out of his momentary trance, it took a while for him to respond. Blue hues stared blankly at the blond as he attempted to reprocess his own train of thought. "Don't call me that," the tanned male finally responded with a scowl. "People are going to think something is going on between us, and that's the last thing I need."

There seemed to be a brief look of disappointment in the other's eyes, though he was quick to mask the expression with a curious one. Another trait Aomine was able to pick up, Kise was good at hiding his emotions. He's sure the blond gets away with lying more times than most with other people, but the blue-haired male was much too observant for that. He was able to pick up any inconspicuous change in his body language. "Then what do I call you?"

"Officer Aomine. Or just officer is fine."

Kise proceeded to wrap his arms around Aomine's neck loosely, and he tilted his head to the side just a bit so that sustaining eye contact was easier. A haughty smirk slowly crept its way onto the other's lips, and the sight further irked the tanned male. His smiles were forced. Every single one of them. The only time he was able to grasp a sincere look from the blond was when he offered him money.

"Officer_cchi_," the name rolled off of Kise's tongue casually.

Upon hearing the even sillier label, Aomine's brows twitched fervently. There seemed to be no getting through to the stubborn male, so he decided to settle with the newly established nickname. Instantaneously noticing his angered look, the blond reached a hand over to gently rub away the forming wrinkles on his forehead. Oddly, the sudden contact worked. Aomine went from being upset to being utterly confused within seconds. It had not been the first time that someone tried to brush away the seemingly permanent wrinkles out of his forehead, but Aomine did not expect the other to be comfortable enough with him to take the initiative.

"If you continue making expressions like that, your face will stay ugly forever. Now, let's continue on. We're wasting time," Kise withdrew his slender fingers from the tanned male's face, and wrapped his arm around his neck once again. "Before we start, I'll need to set some rules." Aomine's confused countenance gradually transitioned back into a scowl, and he let out a scoff; averting his half-lidded gaze from the male before him.

What rules could there possibly be? The blond dances for fifteen minutes and then Aomine leaves. The concept itself wasn't difficult, so he didn't deem it necessary for guidelines to be set. Oh well, the more he talks, the more time he wastes. "What rules?"

"I only have two. First rule: no cameras, phones, or any electronics of the sort. When you're in here, I want it to be just you and me," Kise's grin widened upon stating the words. Aomine deadpanned, but remained quiet with expectations of the blond to continue on. He could feel the slender fingers of the stripper gently rubbing at the back of his head; the digits twirling in the navy locks of his hair.

So he wants the private show to remain private. What else?

"The second rule is quite simple. Relax and have fun, officer_cchi_," with his last statement, Kise lifted himself up slightly so that it was easier for him to move his hips along with the song that was playing faintly in the background. He kept his arms wrapped casually around Aomine's neck as he began dancing; golden hues maintaining eye contact with his navy ones. His movements, although slow, were undeniably mesmerizing. The bluenette found himself intrigued with the way the other's body moved with the beat of the music, which seemed to grow louder as his mind became focused on the male in front of him. _Where do I put my hands? Where do I look?_ It wasn't until his heart began beating rapidly did he notice that he had been holding his breath.

_Relax_. _And have fun._

Aomine finally exhaled, then upon relaxing, set his hands on the waist of the spellbinding male. His eyes lowered down to his lap; attentively watching the hypnotic motions of the blond's hips. After a few minutes of innocuous dancing, the blond lowered his waist so that his thigh was rubbing softly against his crotch. _Fuck._ He bit down on his tongue as to stifle any sounds he could feel his throat struggling to make. The tanned fingers of the officer slid from the stripper's waist down to his thighs, where he continued to watch the movements of his hips. Kise quickly raised himself, then lowered himself again in a teasing manner; causing a heated feeling to pool in the lower region of the cop.

For unknowing reasons, Aomine couldn't help but think about how many people the blond did this with. Not that he should care… or that he did care. But it was a forming curiosity that prodded at the tanned male's nerves. Navy orbs trailed back up to Kise's face only to see how concentrated he looked on preforming his dance. Before the blond could manage eye contact, he precipitously turned around so that his back was now facing the officer.

Subconsciously, his hands were quick to reclaim the other's waist as he began carelessly rubbing his ass between the officer's legs. Kise's hands rested on Aomine's thighs as to support his weight as he began to unhurriedly rotate his hips in synchronized motion with the music. Watching Kise grind his hips in circular motions on his lap stirred the officer in a positive way. Much to his own surprise, Aomine was enjoying the dance more than he had expected he would – he thought he would dread the whole thing. Aomine's blue orbs narrowed and his brows furrowed, because how the fuck did he get himself into this?

His thoughts were disrupted as the blond leaned into him; the other's back pressed against his chest as he continued to idly rub his ass against the tanned male's crotch. No words were exchanged throughout the whole dance. It was evidently 'professional'. Just a dance between a stripper and his customer.

When the song finally ended, Kise stopped, and slowly lifted himself away from the cop's lap. Aomine dropped his hands away from the other's waist, and set them down on the cushioned seat, his gaze attentively fixated on the blond – still a bit mesmerized from the dance he had recieved. It didn't seem like it had been fifteen minutes, if anything it felt like five. The other turned around to face him, a small seemingly enthusiastic grin spread on his face. One of the few times Aomine had seen a smile that was not forced by the blond.

"See, that wasn't so bad," Kise purred, and then ran a hand through his golden locks.

Irritated with the other's statement, Aomine rolled his eyes, and then pushed himself off of the seat beneath him. Despite there being nothing on him, he dusted himself off as if he were attempting to rid the essence of the stripper. Yeah, it wasn't so bad. But it wasn't supposed to happen, either. Feeling a sudden wave of regret hitting him, Aomine brushed past the blond as to make his way out of the area. Before he could reach out and withdraw the drapes, Kise turned towards him with his arms crossed loosely over his chest, a seemingly worried expression on his face.

"Officer_cchi_," Kise called out in a pleading tone; hoping to grasp Aomine's attention before he could walk out. With his hand set on the curtains, the tanned male slightly turned his head over his shoulder as to get a glimpse of the blond out of his peripheral. It was a bit hesitant, but the other managed to disguise the apprehensive look on his face with a forced grin. "I hope to see you again."

The words caused Aomine to briefly pause in his spot; seeing as his statement came out in an oddly pleading tone. That wasn't something he could promise, so without another word, he turned his gaze back towards the drapes and pulled them open. He didn't look back as he exited the area, his legs striding as to get out of the place as quick as possible.

"See you soon," the bartender muttered as Aomine made his way past the bar; idly keeping his gaze down on the glass he was cleaning. Unlike Kise, the bartender seemed to be confident that the officer would be back. And that irritated the shit out of him. _See you soon,_ he parroted exasperatedly in his mind. As soon as he stepped foot outside of the building, he forcefully kicked a trashcan out of his way; people passing by shooting him meddlesome glances.

"Sorry," he held a hand up apologetically as an old woman peered over her shoulder confusedly at him. After picking up the trashcan, along with the few pieces of garbage that fell out of it, Aomine checked his wristwatch and then began making his way back to the station. As he began walking, the uninvited image of the blond grinding against him constantly flashed though his mind.

A small grunt of frustration slipped past Aomine's lips. _Fuck, I'm horny._ The one most prominent thing he hated about lap dances was that they were just a paid ticket to sexual frustration. As he made his way back to his workplace, he began thinking through the girls he could possibly call over for a one night stand. It would be difficult; considering that he had just exited a somewhat long term relationship, he hadn't communicated with many of the girls in his contact list. Unless he called_—_

_Are you really that desperate?_ He knew that if he called his ex, she would answer. And he knew that if it came down to it, she would come running to his house within seconds to give him what he wants. But that was only asking for trouble. Knowing this, Aomine still found himself contemplating the fact. One more round couldn't hurt, he decided. So when he got off of work, he would give her a call. A short sigh escaped his dry lips as he walked behind a slow couple, his gaze peering over them with his given domineering height.

_I hope to see you again._ The thought of Kise's forced smile and pleading tone unceasingly played through the officer's mind, and it was nearly killing him that he couldn't set his mind on anything else. It frustrated him seeing someone with so much baring potential wasting it in a place like that – but it wasn't as if it were the first time he had met someone like Kise. He couldn't seem to distinguish what it was about the idiot that captivated him so damn much. Even so, Aomine decided he wouldn't worry about the kid anymore, because he wasn't going back to Tantra's. Meeting Kise only seemed to further stress him out in more ways than one. He had more serious things to worry about than some cryptic stripper.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"What do you want? I'm busy…" Aomine answered his phone with a jaded tone. He debated letting the call go to voicemail, but considering it was Satsuki on the other line, he figured it would do any good. With a shopping basket in one hand, and his cellphone in the other, the blue-haired male stopped mid-aisle to examine the different brands of dried seaweed he could buy. Today was one of the not-so-many days that Aomine decided to go grocery shopping, and of course, he couldn't even be allowed peace when doing that. "Oi, Satsuki. What brand of seaweed is be—"

"Dai-chan… I know you're stupid, but I didn't think you were _this _stupid," Aomine's childhood friend stated in a seemingly disappointed tone. It was usual of her to call him and chew him out over the poor decisions he would make. It had been that way since middle school. She followed him to the same high school, and even to the same career (though she simply denies the fact, and claims that it was a coincidence that they both had an interest in criminal law). She always felt the need to protect him like a sibling, and although it was appreciated, it annoyed the hell out of Aomine more times than most. There were some things she just needed to stay out of – especially now that they were adults.

Not seeming fazed by the abrupt insult, Aomine placed his phone between his ear and shoulder so that he could reach out and grab the cheapest brand of seaweed on the shelf. Ah, what did he do this time? There were plenty of things Satsuki could be bickering at him for. Perhaps it was waking up late and missing out on the planned lunch he had with her the previous day. Or possibly she used the spare key to get into his apartment only to see that he hasn't cleaned the place in a while. Maybe she found out about his recent trip to the strip club—

"Dai-chan? Dai-chan, are you still there?"

"Yes," he muttered uninterestedly.

"I thought you said you ended things with your ex…"

_Oh._

"…I did."

There was a momentary muteness that fell between the two, which Aomine found to be quite odd, because Satsuki wasn't really the type to initiate awkward silences. He kept his phone pressed amid his shoulder and ear as he made his way down the aisle; blue orbs warily studying the different varieties of food. In all honesty, he had no idea what he was looking for. And it pained him to think that he should have invited Satsuki to come along with him. She was usually the one to help him when it came to such situations, but he decided that day that he would venture out on his own.

"You really shouldn't play with girl's minds. It'll only end poorly, you know," she finally stated after what seemed like years of quietness. "And how do you think her Wakamatsu will feel? You and I both know that she's going to tell him, Dai-chan. And the last thing we need is drama in the workplace."

A scowl spread along the tanned male's features as the name of his co-worker was mentioned, and he reached out to grab a couple of Ramune. His ex just-so-happened to be Wakamatsu's younger sister – one of the many reasons why he ended up breaking things off with the girl. The aversion between the two had started in high school, and only seemed to further worsen as the both graduated and sought off to the same career. Although Aomine had arrived to the police force a year later than the hot-headed blond, he still managed to breeze through tests and cases; earning him multiple promotions above Wakamatsu. Though the idea seemed a bit childish, it was obvious that Wakamatsu was jealous of the blue-haired male. Aomine's talents came naturally, and he didn't seem to have to put in as much work as Wakamatsu did to get to his point in his career. Aomine dating his sister only set the cherry on top of the hatred cake.

"Things will be fine," he stated flatly.

"You better hope so, Dai-chan. Because I'm…"

It wasn't intentional, but his mind began wandering off to other things, and in result muting Momoi's words. He was no longer interested in what she had to say, because quite honestly, what happens between him and the girls he brings into his bedroom should be none of her business. He continued to scan each aisle with his phone pressed loosely to his ear; paying no attention to the words coming from the other line. _Maybe I'll try cooking miso soup tonight._

"Excuse me," a person whimpered as the accidentally brushed into Aomine; keeping their head down as the continued to walk forward. At first, the tanned male was a bit frustrated with the sudden contact because Momoi's constant talking was eating at his nerves. But after taking notice of the daunted tone in the other person's voice, his infuriated mood lessened.

"Don't worry about—" Aomine called out to the stranger and turned his head over his shoulder. He immediately narrowed his eyes upon noticing that the sight of the back of the person's head was oddly familiar. "Satsuki, I'll have to call you back later." Momoi protested against him hanging up, spouting multiple threats about how he would never hear the end of it if he hung up now. It wasn't as if he were listening in the first place, so without another word, he swiftly pressed the button to end the call and followed after the familiar male.

_Kise? _Although it was just the back of his head, he knew that voice… that hair… and the habitual suffix he added to the end of his sentence…

He couldn't fathom as to why he was chasing after him after having decided against seeing him again. It was just too strange to think that, out of all the grocery stores in Tokyo, they both ended up at the same one at the same time. Reaching his hand out, he grabbed the blond's arm and tightened his grip around the slender limb. "What are you doing here?"

With a surprised look, Kise's golden hues snapped down to the tanned hand gripping at him, and then gradually brought his glare up to his face. The startled expression of the other quickly transitioned into a delighted one, and his usual forced grin spread on his face. "Officer_cchi_?" His arm fell limp in Aomine's hold, as if he were going to try to fight back at first. "I believe that's my line."

He loosened his grasp on Kise, and dropped his hand back down to his side – eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Are you following me?"

An amused laugh slipped past the blond's lips, and he shook his head uncertainly. "Don't flatter yourself, officeri_cchi._ I'm here to buy groceries. Even we strippers have to eat," his expression lightened.

_Of course. _Aomine felt a bit foolish for jumping to such an accusation, but his paranoia had undesirably gotten the best of him. The blue-haired male had been so set on never seeing the blond again, that actually seeing him almost seemed unreal. He didn't think of the possibility of them bumping into each other around town. It was strange to think that being a stripper could be just a job, and not necessarily a lifestyle. Kise had a life outside of work just like any normal person, and— _what the hell am I thinking? _The thought of the blond being normal caused Aomine to cringe, because there was no way in hell an annoying bastard like him could be considered normal.

Just a few days ago, this same male was dancing in his lap, and now they were conversing as if nothing had happened between them. Aomine internally scoffed; finding himself to be senseless once again. Kise was just doing his job, and he probably runs into customers outside of work more times than often.

"I didn't recognize you at first! You're like a completely different person outside of you uniform," Kise's eyes conspicuously examined his clothing with a seemingly approved look.

"I could say the same for you," Aomine muttered in a less enthusiastic tone. Kise's sense of style was unexpectedly good compared to the obscene outfits he would wear in the bar.

With a curious expression, Kise peeked over into Aomine's basket, and let out a soft chuckle at the sight of his items. "I was going to ask if you cook, but…"

Drawing the basket away so that the blond could no longer look into it, Aomine shook his head – admitting to his inability to prepare a dish. "I'm not the best cook, but I survive."

This seemed to humor the blond, and a sincere laugh escaped his lips this time. Aomine decided that seeing Kise laugh and smile naturally was rather pleasant. It seemed that most of his emotions were faked, so when he could force a genuine reaction out of the male, he felt some sense of accomplishment.

"Cooking is easy, maybe I can teach you someday," Kise took a step back, and began reaching for a box of noodles off of the shelf. "That is if you promise not to arrest me, officer Aomine_cchi_," he stated in a playful tone.

"I can't make any promises," and for the first time, Aomine flashed the blond a grin. It was smug, and scarcely visible, but it was most definitely there.

The sight seemed to startle the other male, and he dropped the few items he had in his hands; causing Aomine's sudden smirk to swiftly transition into a deadpan. The tanned male quickly reached down to help pick up the scattered food items – Kise's reaction having been too slow. "Sorry," Kise muttered embarrassedly and leaned down to pick up the box rested by his foot. The blond stood up and shifted awkwardly as he watched Aomine help.

"You're clumsy, aren't you?" Aomine stood up straight, then extended the blond's previously dropped groceries out towards him. A small blush spread throughout Kise's cheeks – which he assumed to be out of humiliation. Aomine takes note that Kise is actually easily flustered, and it's a bit entertaining.

"Kise, stop fucking around and let's go," a sudden voice sternly called out from around a corner. Blue orbs immediately shot in the direction that the intimidating voice was heard to see a fairly muscular male with bristly silver hair glaring at the two. There was something about the guy that gave Aomine negative vibes, and he found himself scowling at the stranger. The scowl was inevitably returned, and this caused the tanned male's grip on his basket to tighten. Noticing the stare down between the two, Kise's eyes widened in what appeared to be fright, and his posture immediately stiffened.

Finally the eye contact was broken by the other male, and he shifted his dark hues to Kise. "Do I really need to repeat myself? You've been prancing around in this shithole for long enough, let's go."

Offering Aomine an apologetic glare, Kise retrieved the objects from his hand and began to deliberately back away. "I'm sorry, I have to go… I'll see you around, offic— Aomine_cchi._" And before the tanned male could respond, Kise flashed him one last forced smile, and turned on his heel to walk away.

"Sorry, Haizaki_cchi_! It took me a while to find the right ingredients, but I think I have them all now."

"Who's the fucking bastard staring at me like he has a problem?"

"Oh, do you mean Aomine_cchi_? He's just a friend, don't worry about him…"

The sound of their voices began to drift off as they walked further away; leaving Aomine standing confused in the same spot. What was with the sudden name change? And how many times did that idiot apologize within that short period of time?

The blue-haired male let out an exasperated sigh as he shifted his shopping basket into his other hand. It wasn't until then that he realized he had been standing in that same spot for quite an extended period of time. Kise and his asshole friend had even already left the store. A few people brushed past him with curious glares, which quickly faltered into intimidated ones as they took notice of his frustrated expression.

There he goes, worrying about that damn stripper again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Two weeks had past, and unexpectedly nothing had changed. Every day after work, Aomine would find himself wandering back to Tantra's to "get a drink", and end up engaging in idle chitchat with Kise. It had gotten to the point where the bartender didn't even need to ask what he wanted to drink, he could tell by the tanned male's facial expression that he would either want a water or whiskey on ice. With his frequent visits, he began growing more familiar with the place. He met a few of the other employees, and managed to learn and remember the bartender's name.

He even succeeded in minimally dimming the mysterious persona of the blond. After multiple conversations, figuring him out became easier. Kise didn't do much talking about his personal life, but Aomine was able to figure out subtle things just by studying him. Such as how he always averted his gaze when he was lying, or fiddled with his silver hoop earring when he was nervous. He always perked up when discussing cities other than Tokyo, and frowned when asked about his home town. Sometimes Aomine would randomly flash the blond faint smirks because he noticed that it would pull a startled reaction out of him. As the days went by, it was easier to get genuine smiles out of the other male – and he took note how contagious his natural grin was.

Things remained innocent between the two, and occasionally Aomine would even joke about the lap dance Kise had given him the prior couple of weeks. It would always result in the blond whining about how mean he was and how he was never going to give him a dance again, but his seemingly insulted disposition would always swiftly faltered into a blush. It had gotten to the point where Aomine would forget Kise was even a stripper. Other than the explicit clothing, the blond never seemed to be working or helping anyone else when he came in, and his personality didn't match that of a stripper's – not that he would necessarily know what a stripper's personality was like, but he wasn't lecherous and indecent like he made himself seem the first day they met.

* * *

_It was a Thursday night, and Kise decided to see Aomine out of the bar after a seemingly short couple of hours spent with him. There seemed to have been something on his mind all evening and Aomine was planning to ask him what was wrong, but for once, he didn't have to take the initiative of doing so._

_ 'Aominecchi, you don't treat me like a stripper…' _

_Initially the statement caught him off guard because Aomine didn't see Kise as a stripper anymore. There were times when he almost offered to help the blond get out of the strip business and find him a regular job, because he deserved better. He deserved so much better, and sometimes he wished he could give it to him._

_'Hm? You're a stripper? Oh, I forgot,' he responded playfully. _

_A small smile formed on the blond's lips; seeming to be touched by Aomine's ability to look past his indecent ways. Kise pulled something out of the pocket of his pants, and then leaned forward to slip it in the front pocket of the officer's uniform. 'Well, I am. So I'm giving you that so you never forget. Because as much as I appreciate how kind you are to me, there are times you will need to realize that I'm not always trustworthy.'_

_Aomine kept his eyes set on Kise, and a sudden curious look spread on his usual inexpressive features. 'Are you implying that I can't trust you?'_

_'We're all a bit deceitful, aren't we?'_

* * *

"Good evening, officer," the bartender slid a glass of water out towards Aomine as he took his usual seat at the bar.

Aomine had once told the bartender that it was okay to just address him by just his name when he was not on the job, but he denied; stating something about respect and how it meant a lot to him. Although Aomine found it a bit pointless, he admired his opinion, and continued with letting him refer to him as officer. It didn't bother him much; it just felt a bit odd during the hours that he was off.

"Kasamatsu," Aomine nodded respectfully and wrapped his fingers around the cool glass. It wasn't long until Kise came running out of the back room with an excited expression, and he waved his hand enthusiastically at the cop. An amused scoff slipped past Aomine's lips after seeing the ecstatic blond, and then he averted his eyes down to his cup before bringing it to his lips. He couldn't even manage to get a sip before Kise was running to his side.

"Aominecchi!" Kise nearly jumped onto the counter as he leaped beside him, a wide grin present on his face. His expressions were becoming more sincere as of late, and the sight warmed the officer internally. It was his favorite thing about Kise, his genuine personality. Although at times, he even found that annoying. But it was much more pleasant than the faked smiles and the seductive demeanor.

As to calm the animated male down, Aomine dipped his tan fingers into his glass, then flicked water in Kise's face. Not much to his surprise, it worked. The fervent smile of the other quickly faded into a thin line before peevishly wiping the small sprinkles of water that were speckled on his face.

"You're horrible," Kise stated as he took a seat on the stool next to him.

"Is that so?" Aomine quirked a brow.

"Yes…"

"It's just a bit of water, don't be a baby," Aomine's lips tugged into a haughty grin as he watched Kise pout beside him.

"Kasamatsu-senpai, can I have a glass of water, please?" Kise leaned forward as he politely called out to the bartender.

The rest of the night consisted of them splashing water on each other.

* * *

Usually Aomine would be at Tantra's, but he had agreed to meet up Satsuki for dinner that night. The two of them were sitting in his living room – Aomine on the floor, and Satsuki on the couch – eating poorly made miso ramen as a basketball game played on the television screen. Eventually, the tanned male gave up on even trying finishing his food, internally cursing himself for agreeing to let his childhood friend come over and cook for him again. He would think that he would learn after all of these years…

"Dai-chan, aren't you going to eat your food?" Momoi playfully picked at her own dish with her chopsticks.

"You overcooked the noodles," he murmured impassively as his eyes stayed glued to the screen.

"Well you have to eat something..."

"I'll find something after the game is over," his brows furrowed out of frustration. He was trying to focus on nothing other than the game, but Satsuki had made that nearly impossible for him. Eventually, he managed to pry his focused eyes off of the game only to see that Momoi hadn't touched much of her food either. Typical of her to not say anything. He rolled his eyes and scoffed at the sight, and then reached out for his cellphone. "I'll order takeout."

"No, don't worry about me. I'm just so caught up on this case I've been working on, my mind is everywhere…" She paused for a moment as if she were coming up with something on the spot. Scared as to what was coming next, the tanned male enquiringly kept his gaze on the pinkette. "Do you mind if I use your coffee table really quick?"

Aomine shook his head, because quite frankly, he didn't care. It surprised him that she actually asked; considering how close they were he would think that she would be quick to claim whatever part of his apartment that she wanted. She was usually upfront with what she wanted, and most of the time Aomine appreciated that. He wasn't fond of girl's who didn't speak their minds, because it was just too confusing for him. Sure, he was generally good at reading people, but only to a certain extent. And _damn_, girls are good at concealing their emotions.

A few seconds later, Momoi set a file out on the desk, and pushed a few of Aomine's things to the side as to make more room. Her respectful attitude from just a few seconds prior had ultimately diminished, and she reached out for the remote so that she could turn off the television. It took a while for what had just happened to register through blue-haired male's mind, and by the time it did, Satsuki already had her paperwork spread out along his table. With a sharp scowl, Aomine reached out to grab the remote again, only to have his hand smacked away by his childhood friend.

"What the fuck, Satsuki? I said you could use my table, not turn off the fucking game."

"I need it to be quiet. And I need your attention here," she pointed down to the scattered papers, "Because I need you to help me." Momoi shifted a few things around as if she were setting the paperwork in a certain order, her pink orbs narrowed in focus. Aomine recognized that look, and he knew that whatever she needed help with must be imperative. As much as it pained him to admit it internally, it had to be much more important than the basketball game. So he pulled his hand back and scooted a bit closer to Satsuki so he could see the files at a better angle.

It was typical for the two of them to be working outside of work. Most people would complain about having to do such a thing, but Aomine didn't really mind. Although it could be stressful at times, he loved his job. And Satsuki coming to him for help actually made him feel a bit delighted, because it was usually vice versa. Definitely with the consideration that her job was a bit higher up than his. She was a drug enforcement administration agent – responsible for enforcing regulations regarding to illegal drugs, and catching those who deal them. She does most of the research, and then sends someone like Aomine out to find and arrest the perpetrators.

With one of his legs bent at the knee, Aomine leaned in so that he could get a better glance at what he was supposed to be helping with. Momoi began going on about how she couldn't link any of the people together, yet somehow she still felt as though they all shared the same motive. She went through each file and explained everything she knew about each person – her keen analytic abilities having been a major advantage when it came to such situations. Aomine listened carefully, blue orbs examining each piece of paper she shuffled past in attempt to process all of the information. That was until…

"Wait—" Aomine slammed a hand down on top of the papers as a certain file caught his attention. He shifted his hand so that he was pointing down at the paper, and he brought his strenuous gaze up to Momoi with furrowed brows and a highly inquisitive expression. "Who is this?"

She idly swatted his hand away so that she could see what he had his interest peaked. "Oh, that's Haizaki Shougo. We speculate that he's either working with the Rakuza or is somehow connected to them, but there's not much evidence."

Kise's voice instantly began echoing through his mind once that familiar name was mentioned, and Aomine's previous engrossed expression hardened into a scowl. _Haizakicchi_. He could tell that there was something off about the guy when he first met him, and there was just no way that Kise caught up in some mess with a bastard like him.

It had to be just a coincidence that the two knew eachother.

Because yeah, Kise was dumb. But he was a good person. He is a good person, right?

There wasn't much he knew about the blond other than what he figured out on his own during his short, frequent visits in the bar. So how could he assume that Kise was a good person? Everything he had said could have been a lie.

_I'm not always trustworthy._

Aomine brought his gaze back down to the paperwork, only to see the mug shot of that hideously familiar face glaring right back up at him.

_We're all a bit deceitful, aren't we? _

His fingers were trembling slightly as he reached up to stick his fingers into the front pocket of his uniform; pulling out the card stock Kise had previously stuffed in there. He glared down at the paper to see that it was just a simple business card – a rather cheap one – with Kise's name, the address and phone number to Tantra's, and a small logo of a stripper sliding down a pole printed in the corner. God, he was an idiot. And he should have stopped visiting the damn bar when he had originally planned to.

"Dai-chan?"

It wasn't as if the accusations were true, so why did he feel so uneasy? Just because Haizaki is caught up in some gang related issues, that doesn't mean Kise is as well.

"Dai-chan, do you know this person?"

But he still felt like he was going to vomit. Maybe Satsuki's food was finally getting to him.

"If you know something, then speak up. You're acting really weird."

After a few minutes of glaring down at Kise's business card, Aomine quickly stuffed it back into the pocket of his shirt and brought his gaze to his childhood friend. _He's just a stripper. Someone who lures you in and, just like his clothes, strips you of your money. _"I've seen this man before, and I think I know just the person to go to find out more information about him."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_'Aominecchi. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?' Kise leaned forward in his seat and set his bony elbows on the countertop of the bar – his chin rested lightly in the palm of his hands as he glared at Aomine peculiarly. _

_'That's easy,' Aomine shrugged. 'America.' This seemed to confuse the blond, and his startled expression led the blue-haired male to continue on with his reason. 'So I could go to my first professional basketball game.'_

_With an understanding look, Kise tilted his head minimally – his chin remaining set on his palm. 'Basketball, huh? You seem to really like that sport.'_

_With another shrug, Aomine nodded. 'Yeah. I play when I have time.'_

_'I never tried out basketball, but every other sport I kind of gave up on. They never gave me enough of a challenge,' Kise murmured._

_Vaguely interested, the tanned male quirked a brow. He once experienced that same feeling – the idea of being too highly skilled for something that there is no one else that can provide you with a challenge. It was that way for Aomine and basketball for the longest time, until a certain asshole and his shadow helped him experience defeat, and ever since then his love for the sport matured. 'Maybe you just never met the right person.'_

_'Huh?'_

_'You said sports never challenged you enough, right? Well, that's because you never found that one person that offered you the challenge you were looking for,' Aomine averted his gaze as he took a swig of his alcohol. A sudden silence fell over the two, as if Kise were pondering on what Aomine had said. The tanned male wished he knew what he was thinking, but he didn't want to probe at his thoughts too much._

_'I want to try out basketball, Aominecchi. Do you think you could teach me?'_

_Blue orbs snapped back in the direction of the blond, surprised with the sudden inquiry. 'Eh? I'm not that great when it comes to teaching… I have no patience.'_

_Kise playfully pouted, and leaned towards Aomine so that he could nudge him slightly with one of his elbows. 'Come on. I promise I'm a fast learner. Please, Aominecchi? Please, please.'_

_With a sigh, Aomine ultimately gave in the blond's request. 'Fine. I usually play on the weekends. Is your schedule open?'_

_'I'll work something out,' Kise grinned widely, and then returned to his position with his face set in his hands. Though he seemed to be calm about the fact, Aomine could tell he was radiating with excitement. There was a certain gleam to his honey-brown eyes that expressed more happiness than any statement could. __**He's like a child**_**. **'Oh,_ and then maybe one day, we can go watch our first professional basketball game together!' _

_'Don't say stupid things.'_

* * *

Aomine had a lead on a case, and there was no way he was going to let this one slip past his fingertips. Not that he has ever let a case slip past his fingertips, but he wanted to keep it that way. Whether the lead was someone he has grown quite fond of over the past few weeks or not. His job was important. And as a police officer, it was his duty to keep the streets of Tokyo safe. At least, that is what he had to keep telling himself so that he wouldn't back out of the plan.

It was the first time he had ever arrived at Tantra's earlier than noon, and it seemed to have a different atmosphere at that time, even from outside of the building. The flashy sign of the bar wasn't so flashy during the daytime, and it lessened its appeal in a way. Stepping into the building, Aomine adjusted his built somewhat before making his way over to Kasamatsu, who seemed to be too engrossed with helping other customers. Which was odd. Because there were actually customers. The realization of Tantra's being more of a day bar than an evening one was a bit surprising.

A few of the people lounging around shot Aomine probing glares as he made his way past them, a slightly frightened look behind their hardened glowers. He was used to the stares by then, but there seemed to be more than usual that day.

"Kasamatsu," Aomine leaned in between two people in attempt to immediately grab the bartender's attention. "Kasamatsu, where's Kise? I need to speak to him now, It's important."

The bartender's sharp slate-blue eyes shot up in the officer's direction as though he were surprised to see him. "Morning, officer," he greeted, and then momentarily peeked over his shoulder. "Uh, I think that idiot is busy right now. He should be out soon, though. Take a seat; I'll serve you some water as you wait."

"No," Aomine protested in an irritated manner, his brows furrowing. "I don't have time to wait, I'm on the job. This is police related business; I need to speak to Kise."

Kasamatsu realized that the situation was serious, and his expression transitioned into a frustrated one as well. It was as though he didn't want to give away Kise's exact location, but he knew that there was no going against police demands. "He's over there," the bartender pointed off in the direction that he had previously looked in just a few minutes ago. "But he's busy with a customer, so it'd be idealistic of you to wai—"

Before the bartender could finish, Aomine was already marching off into the pointed direction. Before, he was somewhat calm. He planned to talk to Kise understandingly and try to pull out any information he could for him. But for some reason… there was a strong emotion of anger expanding within him. Knowing that the blond was behind those curtains with someone else seemed to really tick him off, and he couldn't necessarily fathom as to why. Why did he care so fucking much?

Just as he was about to reach out for the curtain and draw it back, another male from the other side opened it. His eyes widened in horror upon seeing the officer, and he rose his hands up defensively as if trying to persuade Aomine that he wasn't armed. Of course the little bastard wasn't equipped, but why was he so scared?

"All he gave me w-was a lap dance, I swear…" the timid male before him stuttered.

Nothing beyond a lap dance going behind those curtains had been assumed to be happening before the idiot stated that, and Aomine could feel his rage only rising more. Jealousy. It was jealousy, he was experiencing. And to think he would be feeling such sentiments towards some scrawny guy paying to get his crotch rubbed on by a stripper was just as enraging as the situation itself. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!" Aomine nearly flinched at the kid. The area seemed to grow quiet as the tanned male's voice boomed throughout the building, and the male before him nearly leaped back a giant step out of fear; his hands still held up defensively.

"Aomine_cchi_?" Kise stepped in between the two, a baffled expression on his faultless features as he attempted to push the enraged policeman back. "What are you doing here?" This gave the other male enough time to rush past the two and run off; not even seeming to think twice on looking back.

"What the fuck was he talking about?"

"…Nothing, Aomine_cchi. _Answer my question, what are you doing here?"

Without any further words, Aomine pushed Kise back into the little section and pulled the curtains shut so that the audience outside could no longer be included in their conversation.

"Sit," he commanded coldly, and then crossed his arms over his chest. Kise quietly obeyed, and sat on the edge of the seat in the area, his golden orbs dimmed with nervousness. The blue-haired male let out a sigh in attempt to calm his nerves, but ultimately it did nothing. He was still pissed off, and he wanted to storm out of the bar in rage and never speak the damn stripper again. But he knew that, at that moment, his best option was to go through with what he was supposed to be doing.

"Aomine_cchi—"_

"Don't," he cut the blond off before he could find the chance to sputter excuses at him. His initial concern wasn't the customer Kise was previously with, and he wanted to keep it that way. "Haizaki Shougou. I want you to tell me everything you know about him. And don't try to tell me you don't know him, because I saw you with him at the grocery store that one day. So it's clear that the two of you are acquainted," he continued on as if the male before him wasn't the same male he had been casually visiting over the past month. Aomine crossed his arms loosely over his chest, and intently glared down at Kise as to ensure that the conversation was serious. "So, start talking."

Kise's eyes began to wander around as an attempt to avoid eye contact with the infuriated officer in front of him. This only further angered Aomine and he stated sternly, "My eyes are up here, Kise. I don't have all fucking day, start talking."

_Silence._

"Is he involved with the Rakuza?"

_Silence._

"Are you involved with the Rakuza?" Aomine decided to question him on a more personal level.

"I can't…"

"You can't what?" Aomine's expression twisted into a highly apparent frustrated one.

"I can't tell you anything, I'm sorry."

Silence suddenly fell over the two, and for the first time since they primarily met, there was strong tension between them. Negative tension, to say in the least. And it was making it slightly difficult for Aomine to breathe. He didn't know what he was expecting, but he hadn't expected that. Considering that they had formed some form of trust over the time they spent with each other, he hoped the blond would have given him some information.

A scoff escaped Aomine's lips, and he parroted mockingly, "You're sorry…" How much of Kise was just a lie? "If you don't start speaking, I'm going to have to bring you into the police station for interrogation."

This didn't seem to faze Kise in the least bit; instead, he nodded his head slightly with an understanding look. "Okay. Are you going to have to put me in handcuffs, or something?"

"Yeah…" Aomine muttered, seeming to be slightly uncomfortable with the fact. Why wouldn't he just speak? They could avoid all of the extra, unnecessary business if Kise would just be honest. He was choosing Haizaki over him, and the thought slightly pained him. Reaching over to his belt so that he could pull out his handcuffs, the blue-haired questioned him one last time, "Are you sure this is what you want? This could all be avoided, Kise."

The blond shifted in his seat a bit, as if he were contemplating the situation. Then after a few moments of muteness, he extended his wrists out towards Aomine so that they were easily accessible. "I'm sorry…" Kise muttered the apology again, and lowered his head in shame. "I'm sorry, Aomine_cchi_. But I told you not to trust me."

Hearing Kise's last statement was like a punch to the face, and Aomine began clenching his jaw in further frustration. With that, he took a step forward and pulled the blond up, and then twisted his arms behind his back so that he could properly cuff him. There were no words exchanged during the ordeal, mainly because he had nothing else to say. His dependence on the stripper had been diminished, and he had ultimately given up all faith on him. Aomine didn't even know the male standing before him, anymore.

Aomine began pulling the blond out of the section – avoiding the meddlesome glares of the customers around them. He was sure the situation was embarrassing for Kise, but Aomine had been just as embarrassed. Not in the same way, but the thought of putting his trust into someone that told him not to was extremely humiliating on its own.

"Hey!" Kasamatsu yelled out angrily as they Aomine pushed Kise out of the bar. He didn't respond or look back, because at that point he didn't care anymore.

* * *

Satsuki side stepped next to Aomine as soon as she spotted him walking through the double-glass doors of their office. She was holding a few folders in her hand which she seemed to have put together for her childhood friend. "Is this him?" She gave the blond a quick, curious glance before turning her gaze to Aomine.

"Yup."

"Okay, the Further Investigation Center has been set up for you. Also…" She held the files out towards Aomine, and flashed him an assuring smile; seeing as he had a rather unpleasant expression. "These are for you. Please don't lose any of the documents; it took a long time for me to put these together."

With a sigh, he reached out for the folders with his free hand, and retrieved them from Satsuki's hands. "I won't lose them."

She nodded, although she wasn't necessarily buying it. After shooting one last glance at Kise, she waved farewell to her best friend, and then turned on her heel. "Have fun, Aomine-kun."

_Have fun?_ He squinted at the pink-haired girl as she made her way back to her office. He knew that she would be present for the interrogation, so he wasn't sure as to why she was bidding him farewell in such a manner. Aomine found himself cringing slightly at the nickname. He should be used to it by now, being that she referred to him as such when they were in public, but it still didn't feel right. At least she reverted back to calling him Dai-chan in some occasions.

Kise looked over his shoulder at Aomine, with a small, faked smile that only agitated him more. "She's kinda cute. Is that your girlfriend, officer_cchi_?"

"Shut the fuck up." Kise really knew how to rub Aomine the wrong way, and sometimes it seemed he was doing it intentionally. It was obvious that Aomine wanted nothing to do with him at that moment, yet he still tried to casually converse with him as if he weren't being led to an interrogation room at that moment. What a smug, idiot bastard.

It wasn't long until they reached the interrogation room, where Aomine shut the door behind them and removed the handcuff from the blond's hands. "Take a seat," he muttered, and then threw the files Satsuki had previously given him down onto the desk set in the room. Quite honestly, he didn't feel as though he needed them. He had enough knowledge on the case, and all he needed to do was get Kise to talk. Satsuki always took it upon herself to do extra things the blue-haired male didn't deem necessary. It is what some people would call his unappreciation for her.

Aomine takes a seat across from Kise, still upset from the previous encounter. He knew it would probably be best to have someone else question him at that time, but with his stubborn tendencies, he continued on with the job himself. It was silent. Unbearably silent, as if the unspoken words had the ability to kill the both of them. Aomine was used to the tacky music filling in the mute void between the two, or Kasamatsu asking if he needed another drink. And usually, they had enough to talk about to keep a conversation going for hours. But this…

"We don't have any evidence that you're involved with the Rakuza," Aomine finally broke the silence, an apathetic tone behind his voice. "This means, luckily for you, I can't keep you here over night. But I do expect you to give me some information in the short time that we're here, Kise. Enough with the 'you can't trust me' bullshit, because it's getting extremely irksome. If you know something, tell me."

"Officer_cchi_, can I ask you a question?"

"It depends on what your question is."

"You're someone who wants to see bigger and better things than just the boring streets of Tokyo. Yet, you wasted a month of your life visiting a small strip club everyday just to chat it up with some mysterious male who gave you a cheap lap dance on a Wednesday night. So my question to you is: why?"

Aomine fell silent once again, because he was taken off guard. There was a determined glint in the other's eyes, and he knew there was no way around this question – so the only way to get out of it was by paying him back with silence. A game that both of them could play.

_Why? _Because he found himself interested in someone he shouldn't have had been interested in. It was as simple as that. But he wasn't going to give Kise that much, no.

"As expected from Officer Aomine_cchi._ He doesn't have an answer," Kise leaned forward in his seat. "Because sometimes we do things that we can't explain. We know that we shouldn't, that we should take a few steps back and continue down a different route, but for some reason we're drawn to that one thing that we shouldn't be. So, you should understand what I mean when I say… I can't tell you anything."

"Don't give me that bullshit, Kise. Not being able to explain something and choosing not to explain something are two different things."

"Is it really, officer_cchi_?"

"Do you really think talking in circles is going to work against me?"

"No, but I do think that you have no possible case here. And that you should give up on me."

_Give up on him_. Aomine let out a small, distorted laugh that came out as more of a scoff. It was a rather unpleasant sound, and it seemed to make the blond cower upon hearing it. "Give up on you? Kise, don't say foolish things. I never started with you in the first place," Aomine lied through his teeth, a hostile smirk on his face. "You're just a stripper… A whore that sells his body out to horny strangers that should be at home tending to their wives. Don't think anymore of yourself, because that'll only get you hurt in the end."

There was a pained look on Kise's face – one that Aomine had never seen before and it was a bit startling to know he was capable of expressing such heart wrenching emotions. There even seemed to be tears pricking at the corner of his eyes, which he appeared to be struggling to hold back. It was as though he had just stripped the other male from his most valued possession and left him with nothing. Genuine expressions of the blond were rare, no matter what form they came in. Seeing Kise so upset didn't stop Aomine from continuing on. If there was one thing he was best at, it was using his words to his advantage… and even sometimes, to his disadvantage.

"I mean, that's what you told me, right? You're just a stripper and not to trust you?"

Kise averted his eyes down to his lap as he muttered under his breath in a scarcely audible tone, "I think you should leave."

"Don't worry; I was just about to see myself out. Someone else will be in here to take over my place shortly. So don't get too comfortable, stripper-kun."

Kise shot a glare at Aomine as he pushed himself away from the table and stood up. Nonetheless, the bluenette wasn't fazed by the icy glares or solemnly saddened expressions of the other, because he had enough. Kise Ryouta was nothing but another stripper he stumbled upon in a bar.

Before completely making his way out of the door, Aomine turned towards the blond one last time with a slightly disappointed glare. "Tell Kasamatsu it was nice meeting him. You have a nice life, Kise."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_Exhales… 'One…'_

Aomine waited. His hands folded together as he rested his forehead upon his knuckles; his legs inadvertently shaking underneath the table. He counted each breath as he exhaled – a method he was testing in attempt to calm his nerves. Surprisingly, it was working. Focusing his mind on nothing else but the rhythm of his breathing settled his previously ascended anger.

_Exhales… 'Two…'_

At least it worked for some minimal while. It wasn't long before burdening thoughts starting resonating through his mind and causing him to tremble angrily once again. Knowing that he had the answers right in front of him, but he let simple things such as emotions cloud his process of rational thinking, upset him more than anything else. He expected to go further in his career, yet he couldn't do something as simple as interrogating a stripper.

_Stripper._

For some unknowing reason, the word made him cringe. Although it was a truthful label, it seemed to have a negative connotation to it. Perhaps it was because at one point, he saw beyond the occupation of Kise. He wasn't just a stripper; he was a friend who eased some of the stress from his life. Someone he could talk to and count on. Aomine knew that every time he would walk into that bar, Kise would be sitting on the stool with a content expression as he waited for his arrival.

_Exhales… 'Three…'_

There was no taking back what he said, because simply there was no forgiving what he said. He hadn't thought that the guilt would begin to eat at him so quickly, an hour hadn't even past yet and he was already wishing he could go back and express his regret. But he would go through with his word; Aomine Daiki would no longer contact with the male stripper Kise Ryouta. Such thoughts were painful, but he managed to stifle the emotion through his steady breathing. Although, the method's effectiveness seemed to dim as his mind began to inadvertently wander off to inferior things.

_Exhales… _"Aomine," a familiar voice cut off his train of thought. A bit irritated, the officer gradually lifted his face away from the palm of his hands and slowly relocated his cobalt hues aloft to see Wakamatsu standing beside his desk. He wasn't essentially the person he wanted to see at that moment, but he supposed he couldn't necessarily complain being that they worked in the same office.

"Mn," Aomine mumbled the hum as a response, a curious glint within his eyes. Not seeming pleased with the greeting, the other male leaned forward to set his hands flat on the top of his desk, an unsettled expression played on his features. It was beyond obvious that Wakamatsu didn't favor him – not that Aomine ever cared. But the intolerant tension whenever he entered the room was exceedingly uncomfortable.

"I don't know what you said to that stripper back there, but whatever it was, it worked. So give yourself a few pats on the back, because I'm not doing it for you," Wakamatsu muttered indifferently. Although he seemed to be praising Aomine in that moment, his apathetic expression remained.

"What do you mean it worked?"

"He gave us all the information we needed, and put us on the right track. So we let him go."

Even after hearing this, Aomine still felt a slight twinge of shame. "That's good," he fought the sudden urge to ask what information was revealed, but he deemed that his inquisitiveness was unneeded for the time being. Kise seemed so set on keeping his mouth shut… What made him change his mind? "Is that all you wanted? Because I'm busy," Aomine stated, although it was obvious that he was doing nothing else other than counting breaths.

"Yeah, there's something else. What's going on with you and my sister," the blond cut straight to the point. As expected.

Aomine rolled his eyes and leaned back in his seat, his navy brows pinched together out of frustration. "Nothing. And even if there was something going on, it's none of your business," he retorted.

The blond scoffs. "Well unfortunately for you, it is my business. That's my sister, and you need to stop fucking around with her."

The sudden confrontation was a bit startling for Aomine, because he hadn't contacted his ex in over a month. Quite honestly, he was past the point of being irritated. And despite the previous guilt he felt for leaving his words unfiltered, he audaciously repeated his prior actions. "I don't give a fuck about your sister, Wakamatsu. Now get out of my face."

Wakamatsu swiftly reached over the table and grabbed Aomine by the collar of his uniform before he could react; pulling him a bit out of his seat. "I don't give a fuck if we're on the job. I'll still kick your ass," he growled as he pulled Aomine closer.

"I'd like to see you try—"

"Hey! Hey!" Satsuki sprinted over to the two and began attempting to pry her way amid them. She seemed to have no luck in doing so with the both of them paying no attention to her. It wasn't until she shouted, "We can't afford to have either of you suspended right now! We're coworkers, in other words, we're teammates! So stop the childish games and let's move forward from this unnecessary drama!"

There was a sudden pause between all three – Aomine and Wakamatsu continuing to angrily stare each other down despite them both having cooled down somewhat. After letting out an exaggerated sigh, Wakamatsu released Aomine's shirt and took a step back.

"That mouth of yours is going to get you into some serious shit, Aomine," the blond muttered before turning on his heel to exit the area.

Without any further words, the blue-haired male leaned back in his seat; his tanned features twisted into an infuriated scowl. If there was one that he hated the most, it would be having a person he disliked stating something that was ultimately true. There was nothing to say, considering that his mouth had already gotten him into multiple complications that day. He was hot-headed, and had a severe problem with speaking without clearly thinking through his words first. And it had gotten him into needless quarrels in more occasions than one.

Satsuki gave Aomine a somewhat disappointed look before making her way out of the room as well. He was slightly surprised that she didn't proceed to question him as to what exactly had happened, but he supposed that the reason was quite obvious.

* * *

Aomine plopped down onto his couch as he held his phone to his ear. The other line of the phone seemed to have been ringing forever, and this drew an impatient sigh from the officer's arid lips. He could feel his stomach unexpectedly churning, and he found the sudden urge to hang up and continue on with more important things. It was his day off – a rare occasion that he should be taking advantage of, but instead was spending it loitering around his empty home.

"Hello, thank you for calling Tantra's Bar. How may I help you?"

_Shit._ Aomine's breath caught in his throat, and he found himself struggling to speak. He could still turn back… Hang up the phone and pretend the situation never occurred. Instead of ending the call, he continued to sit there in silence; twirling the business card that Kise had given him between his slender fingers.

"Hello?"

"Is Kise there?" His voice cracked slightly as the blond's name slipped past his lips.

"Uh… Hold on one second, please."

It had been a little over a week and he kept his word with not returning to Tantra's. After work, he would head straight home, eat dinner, and then go to sleep. Occasionally he would call a girl over and she would leave the next morning before he left for work. Aomine fell back into the typical routine he had before he managed to stumble upon the bar. But unlike the time before meeting Kise, he wasn't enjoying himself. Despite his work days progressively becoming stress free and him not having to worry about anyone other than himself – there was still a sense of guilt that he couldn't seem to rid of.

"Kise hasn't been to work in over a week. But, I can tell him you called if I do happen to see him. What's your name?"

In over a week? Where the hell has he been?

"Hello?"

"No one important," Aomine finally answered, and then abruptly ended the call. There was no doubt about it – he was worried. Over the past month he had been returning to Tantra's, and Kise was there every day. He claimed that he needed the hours so that he could get a better place, and possibly a better job. Occasionally, Aomine would attempt to offer him money. But Kise would decline with a grateful smile; teasing soon after, _'you just want another lap dance, don't you, Aominecchi?'_

The only bit of information he had about Kise was that damn business card. With a dejected groan, he slipped the card stock paper back into his pocket and sunk into his spot on the couch. He knew absolutely nothing about Kise. Yet he was able to look him straight in the eye and call him a whore as if he knew his whole life story. It took a lot to make Aomine feel guilty about his actions; being that he was typically an egocentric person. The feeling was foreign and, in a sense, frightening.

After thinking on the subject for a few more minutes, Aomine brought his phone back to his ear after hitting redial.

"Hello, thank you for calling Tantra's—"

"What about Kasamatsu? Is Kasamatsu there?" Aomine cut straight to the point, his impatience having already gotten the best of him.

The person on the other side of the line paused before answering. "Hold on, please," there seemed to be an irritated hint to the man's tone, which was understandable, with the consideration that Aomine had just cut him off mid-sentence.

"This is Kasamatsu," the familiar voice of the bartender stated after what seemed like years of waiting.

"Where has Kise been?"

"Officer?" The courteous façade immediately diminished into a seemingly angered one as Kasamatsu realized who was on the other line. "Why are you concerned with his whereabouts?"

"Well, it's been brought to my attention that he hasn't been to work in a week… And I'm worried." Admitting the last bit seemed to be a bit difficult, and his voice sounded strained.

"Worried? Didn't you tell him to have a nice life? That's sounds like a permanent good bye, if you ask me. You had no intentions on contacting him again, so I don't see why you're calling here, Officer."

So the two were acquainted on a personal level, and Kise had no problem with talking about things unrelated to work with the bartender. Aomine wasn't necessarily surprised with the established fact; he was more surprised that Kise had been talking about him.

"I'm aware of what had been said. And that's why I'm calling," Aomine muttered. Everyone seemed to be being curt with him that day, and this caused the tone of his voice to have an exasperated manner to it.

"I've been professional for quite some time, and I think it's time that I spoke to you on a reasonable level. Because you're an ass. And I've never liked you," Kasamatsu blurted. "But you make Kise happy. How? I don't really know, I'm a bit confused with the fact as well, but you do. And all I really want for that kid is happiness, and a better life. I've seen him go through some pretty hectic shit, and before you came around, things weren't going pretty well for him. He was extremely fond of you. Whenever you would leave after having spent the evening here, he wouldn't shut up on talking about how cool you were and how he was happy that you would come to visit him. As annoying as I thought his endless blabber about you was, it was great to see something… someone actually putting a genuine smile on his face.

"Yeah, he's caught up in some stuff with a few gang members. But that's because they provided for him. They gave him a home and a job. Before then he was working on the streets and practically struggling to live. So as you can see, that's why it was pretty difficult for him to betray the only people that he deems were there for him. But for whatever odd reason, he cares about you more than he cares about anything else. So he did what you wanted and provided your people with the evidence they needed. And for your information, Officer, he's in hiding. Because now he has the Rakuza on his trail for ratting them out."

Aomine could feel his stomach nearly dropping at Kasamatsu's last sentence, and there was a sudden bitter taste on his tongue. Before he could open his mouth to respond he could hear someone on the other line calling out for the bartender. _'Senpai. We need you over here.'_

"I have to go," the other dropped the conversation as if it weren't a serious matter. This irked Aomine in a sense, because he was still left clueless as to where Kise was.

"Can you at least tell me where he is? I want to help him… Please, I don't want to see him hurting anymore. Just give me some type of hint as to where he is…" _He was pleading._ And in other situations, the thought would cause the blue-haired male to cringe in disgust, but he was undeniably desperate at that moment.

There was a drawn out pause on the other line, and at one point, Aomine thought the bartender had hung up. "How about this. Give me your address, and I'll tell him you called. If he wants to touch bases with you, then he'll know where to go."

As if Kise wanted to speak to him. Not after all the things he had said. And to be quite honest with himself, Kise shouldn't want to speak to him ever again. He was a self-centered asshole that only cared about the well-being of himself.

"Fair enough," Aomine answered after a short moment of contemplation. "Make sure you deliver this message as soon as possible."

"I'll be seeing him tonight, Officer. No need to worry about my part."

And without further queries, Aomine provided Kasamatsu with his information in hopes that he would see or hear from the blond soon. A farfetched thought, but there was still a small part of him that hoped.


	8. Chapter 8

_a/n: merry christmas, lovelies! thank you for reading, i really appreciate it! i hope every single one of you have a wonderful holiday! 3_

* * *

**Chapter 8**

It was safe to say that perhaps he had gotten his hopes up. After a long day of work, Aomine rushed home with minimal expectation of the blond to be waiting by his door. He had even contemplated leaving his door unlocked so that Kise wouldn't have to wait outside – although he decided against it in the end. Because the idea was farfetched. Kise had every right for not wanting to see him ever again. As hard as it was for him to admit it, what he had said and did was wrong.

Fumbling in the pocket of his pants to grab his keys, the blue-haired male took a hesitant step in front of the closed entrance of his home. A dissatisfied sigh escaped his lips before he reached forward to unlock the door and make his way through the entry. He slipped off his shoes as soon as he closed the door behind him, and then rubbed at the back of his neck exhaustedly. The inside of his apartment was dark and – other than the bland furniture – empty. Aomine usually turned off all the lights prior to him leaving for work, so he was used to being welcomed back to gloom.

Although he couldn't see much, he managed to make his way to his bedroom without bumping into anything along the way. He didn't bother to turn on the lights when he entered his room. Without hesitation, he headed straight to his throne of slumber, and dropped his keys on the night stand. Before plopping down onto the mattress, he undid the top few buttons of his shirt as to loosen the collar. Despite the heavy feeling of his uniform weighing down on his skin, the tanned male proceeded to leave it on. He was far too exhausted to slip out of his attire. And the longer he stayed awake, the more he would think about Kise and his wellbeing. He was done worrying for the day.

Aomine buried his face in the flattened pillow on his bed and immediately shut his eyes. _Done worrying._ No matter how done he was, there was no escaping the imperious feeling. Even as he began to slip away from consciousness, the image of the blond's genuine grin flashed through his mind. He would give anything to see him smile again… to make him smile again.

Not even sleep could help him escape the outlandish thoughts of Kise.

**_Boom! Boom! Boom!_**

A dream? That, or he was going crazy. Because the sound was much too realistic to just be a figment of his imagination.

**_Boom! Boom!_**

"Hnnn, shut the hell up, I'm trying to sleep…" the words scarcely succeeded in escaping his lips, and he buried his face deeper into the cushion of his pillow. The statement didn't do him much justice; being that his voice came out in a muffled tone.

**_Boom! Boom!_**

"Fuck!" The tanned male abruptly sat up from his spot with an apparent expression of frustration. Someone was banging on his door? "I'm coming!"

**_Boom!_**

A bit groggy from having almost drifted off into sleep, Aomine slowly stumbled out of his bed and began making his way back out of his room. Regardless of him having called out, the knocking didn't cease. The obnoxious thumping against the wood of his front door echoed unpleasantly throughout his apartment. He rubbed at his eyes a bit as to adjust his pupils to the darkness, but that seemed to only worsen his vision.

_Thump_! "God… fucking… dammit!" The blue-haired male staggered backwards after forcefully hitting his toe on the edge of a wall. The pain unbearably shot up his leg, making it nearly impossible for him to apply pressure to the injured area. He continued to curse under his breath as he limped his way through the darkness, his brows furrowed deeply. After finally reaching the place of entry, Aomine reached out and gruffly swung the door open. His eyes squinted as the porch lights from outside beamed in his face, and he let another sequence of vulgarities slip past his lips. He lifted a hand as to shield his cobalt orbs from the luminous rays, and let out a huff.

"Officer_cchi…_" A timid voice muttered softly. And as Aomine realized he recognized the tone, he instantaneously froze in place. Ah, fuck. The blue-haired male had been anticipating that very moment for countless days, and now that the blond was finally within his presence, he didn't know what to do. He was speechless. His breath, along with the words he wanted to say were spitefully wedged in the center of his throat. Where was he supposed to begin? An apology wouldn't suffice. How he had treated the other male couldn't be forgiven with a simple "sorry". He wanted to find some other way to express his guilt… to make it up to Kise.

Although he was sure that his eyes had grown accustomed to the light by then, he continued to keep his face covered with his muscular arm. A sudden muteness fell over the two as Aomine struggled to express himself.

"I… I'm sorry for showing up so late. But I had your address… And I have nowhere to go…" There seemed to be panic in the tone of the other's voice, and upon noticing this, the tanned male finally lowered his arm away from his face to reveal the worried countenance spread along his features. The light was a bit too dim to see much detail, but it wasn't hard to notice that Kise was on the verge of tears and trembling. _And bleeding._

"…Kise, what the fuck happened?" Aomine extended his hand out for the blond as to pull him into his home, and swiftly shut the door behind them. Darkness momentarily engulfed the two of them before the officer flicked the light switch on. With the room bright enough for him to see, Aomine's previously worried expression quickly faltered into an angered one. The blond averted his gaze as to hide his appearance, and he began chewing on his bottom lip as tears began to welt in his eyes. He looked as though he had just been jumped. His usual faultless features were covered in brutal scratches and bruises, and dried blood that seemed to have previously come from his nose was smeared along his face – the sight made Aomine cringe.

_He was pissed_. Beyond pissed. And as he further examined the injuries on the other's exposed skin, he could feel his blood only boiling hotter.

"Who did this to you?"

Kise remained silent, his gaze still set elsewhere.

"Kise, dammit! Who the fuck did this to you?" Aomine took a step towards the other and grabbed his face so that he could force him to make eye contact. As soon as their gazes met, the forming tears that Kise had been struggling to hold back began to fall from his eyes, and his trembling only worsened. It didn't take long for him to break out into an uncontrollable sob – one that nearly broke the tanned male's heart.

"I thought I was going to die…" Kise managed to sputter between sporadic breaths, his tears rolling down his cheeks and over the hand Aomine was grasping his face with. "I thought they were going to kill me."

Upon hearing that, Aomine lowered his indicator away from the blond's face and pulled him into a tight hug. Although Kise seemed hesitant to hug him back, the tanned male continued to firmly wrap his arms around his trembling body, as though he were implying that he wouldn't let him go. This seemed to only cause the other to weep louder, and after a few seconds of standing unnervingly in Aomine's hold, Kise finally relaxed and proceeded to bury his face in his broad shoulder as to muffle his cries. Aomine brought a hand up to the back of the blond's head, and began soothingly massaging his scalp as an attempt to calm him down.

After several minutes of heavy sobbing, Kise's cries began to die down, and he fell limp in Aomine's arms. He could feel the tears of the other soaking through the shoulder of his uniform. A soft sight emitted from his lips before muttering, "Kise…"

No response. Had the idiot really fallen asleep standing up? But he supposed it was understandable, given Kise's current circumstance. With him formerly being in hiding and practically living on the streets, Aomine's arms was probably the most comfortable thing he fallen asleep over the past few weeks – whether he was standing or not.

Not wanting to wake the blond up, Aomine slowly began to kneel down so that he could properly grasp him by the thighs and pick him up. Upon successfully doing so, Kise stirred a bit, only to nuzzle further into the blue-haired male. With the blond now in his arms, the throbbing pain from having previously hit his toe began to manifest. Somehow, he managed to walk through the pain, although he winced with each step. The temporary pain was worth it, and besides, he figured he deserved it. Walking on a sprained toe was the least he could do for the other male.

Walking back to his room seemed like an endless route, definitely with the incredibly slow speed he was going. Once he reached his desired destination, he deliberately sauntered over to his bed, and gradually lowered the blond down onto the mattress. Either he was a heavy sleeper, or Aomine had actually succeeded in being cautious. He found the second option to be highly unlikely, so he took advantage of the other's deep slumber and began taking off Kise's boots for him. After doing so, he set Kise's shoes beside the bed, and then pulled a blanket over him.

Ignoring the severe welts, dried blood, and tear stained cheeks of Kise's face –he looked extremely peaceful. His expression had softened into one of apparent tranquility, and it was obvious that he was at peace within his dreams. Aomine brushed a bit of the other's bangs out of his face, and then took a tentative step away as to leave him be for the rest of the night.

Before exiting the room, Aomine changed out of his uniform and into a more suitable outfit for slumber. Having properly dressed himself for the night, he languidly wandered back into the living room, and then shut off the lights he had previously turned on as to divulge Kise's wounds. The thought caused the tanned male to seethe with anger once again, and he cursed underneath his breath as he plopped down onto the couch. He stretched out on the sofa, and idly stared up at the ceiling with narrowed eyes. His expression twisted into one of disgust.

Despite him being extremely exhausted, he couldn't seem to get himself to fall asleep. His anger had gotten the best of him, and all he could think about was killing the bastards that hurt Kise. He wished he could have been there to protect him… If only he hadn't interrogated Kise in the first place, he wouldn't be in the situation he was in. He should have just trusted Kise and believed him when he stated that he couldn't tell him anything. But he was selfish, and ignorant. All he cared about was his job and the big-breasted girls that would arrive at and leave his apartment before dusk.

Aomine was full of guilt – unbearable guilt, and he couldn't help but think that everything that had happened to Kise was his fault. In that moment, he decided he would do whatever it takes to earn the blond's forgiveness. Whether it be lending him his bed for sleep or his shoulder for crying – he didn't want to see Kise in pain anymore. _He didn't want to be the reason why Kise was in pain anymore._ The blue-haired male couldn't remember the last time he had seen the blond sincerely smile, and the realization was disheartening. Aomine was sick of seeing his tears and distraught expressions.

He couldn't seem to figure out why he cared so much – why seeing Kise so distressed made him sick to the stomach. The prodigious feelings of worry were beyond foreign for the blue-haired male. Aomine was typically the type of person to only look out for himself. The wellbeing of other people didn't necessarily concern him. As long as he was content, no one else around him mattered. That was until he met Kise. And for whatever odd reason, he was beginning to understand the concept of putting the people you care for before you.

_Care._

A scoff was heard from Aomine as the word resonated through his mind. It was the first time he actually admitted to such a thing. But it was irrefutable. Aomine cared for Kise. It couldn't be denied after having worried about his whereabouts and wellbeing for weeks, and his previous reoccurring visits to the bar he worked in just to do nothing else other than converse with him. What had started out as inquisitiveness grew into fixation. He went from wanting to figure out the blond to wanting to tend to the blond's needs.

_'And all I really want for that kid is happiness, and a better life.' _

A yawn forced its way out of Aomine's mouth, and he was finally able to relax in his uncomfortable spot on the couch. "Me too, Kasamatsu… Me too," he murmured affirmatively to the bartender's voice reverberating through his mind, and then finally managed to slip unconscious.


End file.
